Anders Breivik 'unable to distinguish reality' says professor

A sociologist called as a witness for the defence on the issue of the sanity
of Anders Behring Breivik explains that he believes Breivik is unable to
distinguish between the computer game World of Warcraft and reality.

Sociologist and professor at Oslo university, Thomas Hylland Eriksen, said that he suspects the defence wants to use his testimony to prove that Breivik was sane when he killed 77 people.

But Eriksen says this is a complex issue. His understanding is that Breivik is a fantasist who created an alternative persona for himself through online computer games which he sometimes brought into the real world.

"I think one factor which hasn't been taken sufficiently into account is his obsession with a certain kind of computer game and his way of using the internet in order to create for himself a kind of alternative reality... He does not seem to be very successful in distinguishing between the virtual reality of World of Warcraft and other computer games, and reality," said Eriksen.

Eriksen has been called by the defence because of his writing on multi-culturalism in Norway. He believes that the defence want to use his expertise to prove Breivik's sanity but he would not be drawn on a prognosis when asked.

"I expect that they want me to help them substantiate the claim that he was not insane, what I can say is that his world view, or large parts of his world view are fairly widely shared... And this world view exists, not shared by a majority but by a fairly vocal and potentially dangerous minority," Eriksen said.